Archive for July, 2009

First of all, I must say that my cousin Hannah always has the best recipes, cutest decorating ideas, and just all around great stuff on her blog. That is where I found my new favorite drink!

I rarely go to Starbucks, and when I do it is usually a splurge on a java chip frapacchino. I have never tried the Tazo Passion Shaken Iced Tea with Lemonade, but when Hannah posted a “clone” recipe on her site, I knew I needed to give it a try. Oh my gosh! This is amazing! This is my new summer go-to drink!

Add five tea bags to one quart of cold water and refridgerate over night. (I didn’t have a jar to do this in so I used my 32 oz Nalgene bottle…worked perfectly!)
In the morning squeeze the tea bags out dispose of them. This is a Passion Tea Concentrate.

Grab a nice large glass and add about a half cup of concentrate to glass with one singles packet of Crystal Light lemonade, and one packet of Truvia. Fill glass with water. (I used my Camelback bottle and this made about 24oz. after I added 6 ice cubes)
Mix.

I’m sure this is much cheaper in the long run than going to Starbucks. The up front cost can be a little high, but I know the Crystal Light packets go on sale around here quite often. If you really want to make this feel like an authentic drink, get one of these!

Today has been one of those days at work where nothing goes right. Grrr….

Dinner last night was Mexican Lasagna with some grapes. That is going to be dinner tonight, too. I had an avacado that needed used up so I mashed it with some lime juice, salt, and a scoop of the diced tomatoes from the lasagna to make a yummy guacamole. Hubby doesn’t like guac, so I probably ate more of it than I should have!

Today’s Eats:

Breakfast: Egg and cheese breakfast sandwhich on an Arnold’s Thin

Snack: Blueberries

Lunch: Cottage cheese and pineapple

Peanut butter filled pretzels

Snack: Way too many Spice Drops! (I shouldn’t be let near the bag when having a stressful day!!)

(I may have had more than this….)

Gotta run…no time to write much else! I hope you are having a stress-free day!

*You could use any nut in any amount…get creative!
**You could use any dried fruit. I used cranberries, mango, papaya, kiwi, and pineapple. I had little leftovers of each! Get creative with these!

Put all dry ingredients in crockpot (which should be at least 4 quarts!). Melt the butter in the microwave. Add butter and agave to dry ingredients. Toss well. (Note: This granola will be cereal-like…not clumpy like trail mix. You will need to add a lot more butter and sweetener to get it clumpy)Cover crockpot with lid, but stick something (like a chopstick or thin spoon) under the lid to vent. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (unless you have a nuclear crockpot like me…then it only takes two hours before it starts to burn), stirring every so often. If you can smell the granola, you need to stir it. This will burn!!

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. This type of granola would be a great topper for yogurt or ice cream. This is definately not a crockpot recipe that can be left unattended!

I don’t think this is my favorite granola (or maybe it was just because it was well on it’s way to being extra done…like I said….nuclear crockpot). I think next time, I would wait until about half way through to add the coconut and fruit. The coconut was very crispy at the end!!

At work, people will bring in “extra” items from their gardens and leave them on the table in the lounge for anyone who wants them. I have been hoping for some zucchini all summer, and today was my lucky day! Look at this monster!!

This is the largest zucchini I have ever seen! I put my regular sized pen in front of it for size comparrison. I am thinking about slicing a few pieces off, marinating them in balsamic vinegar and grilling them for sandwiches. The rest will probably get shredded and either frozen or made into a yummy baked item. Do you have a favorite zucchini recipe? I love zucchini bread and zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting….but neither of those are very healthy!

Last night for dinner I made whole wheat waffles. I have used the waffle recipe out of the original Betty Crocker cookbook for my entire life (my mom uses it too.) Recently I started switching in 1/2 whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and lo-and behold….hubby likes them BETTER than the original. So, back to dinner last night. I made the waffles, but for some reason they were flat and soggy. I rechecked the ingredients list and I did not leave anything out. The only thing I came up with is that this is my first time making these in our “new” house which does not have air conditioning. It was very very warm and HUMID last night. Would that make a big difference? Here’s the real kicker….hubby was on his third (yes third!) waffle when he stops with his fork half way up and says, “Honey, these are the best waffles you’ve ever made.” I don’t know that I will be able to make soggy, flat waffles all the time just to make him happy!

Going for a run tonight…..Hoping to run 2 ENTIRE miles with no walking. My legs are still stiff from Monday, but running seems to loosen them up. That first 1/4 mile or sore is just a little painful!

Great news! I just found out that my BEST FRIEND from college is coming to visit me 2 weeks from today! She lives about three hours away and I haven’t seen her since my WEDDING on 09-08-07! She will be staying with me for 3 days, so that means a 5 day weekend for me! Can’t wait! (I’m sure there will be some bad food choices, but I need to not obsess about it, just be smart and not overindulge!)

Yesterday I finally purchased a Road ID. Since I live and run in such a rural area, I got it for peace of mind. A lot of times I run down dirt roads and carry nothing with me…granted, in the area I run, I know 90% of the people who live along my route, but that doesn’t mean they will know who to contact if something happens to me.

I purchased the Wrist ID Sport Original. I had my name, city, state and country (I was thinking ahead to Toronto on that one!), the phone numbers and names of hubby, mom, and dad and also a short motivational quote. I got the red band. The color of band to get was probably a lot harder of a choice than it should have been! I think I changed it about 8 times over the course of the day before I finally submitted my order!

The nice people at Road ID sent me a $1 off code that is good through August 28th. It can only be used 20 times, so if you would like the code, shoot me an email at angrydieter@gmail.com.

I really do think this is one of the items that every runner, biker, etc. should purchase….especially if you will be out alone!

I'm Becci, a twenty something from a small farming community in Michigan. I grew up on a farm and still live on one...I can't imagine it any other way! Although, I do love to travel and see the amazing places the world has to offer! I have always struggled with my weight and living a healthy lifestyle, but that's about to change! This is my journey to eating healthy, traveling, and hopefully accomplishing my goal of running a marathon all while enjoying the country life!